The Soundtrack of My Life

The potency of music astounds me. I subscribe to Paste Magazine, which sends out it's magazine 6 times a year with a CD of music (and sometimes a DVD included as well. The music is usually stuff I haven't yet heard, but some of which will soon be popular. Some of the artists are known, some are not.

I'm playing the newest CD this morning, I haven't yet gotten all the way through it. But, a couple of the songs have completely tugged at my emotions - pulling out emotions of melancholy, of contentment, of wonder, of excitement. The music takes over.

Worship is like this for me too. I need music - both the stuff that has stood the test of time, but also the new stuff. It's such a challenge to balance these two at times, especially when the best singers prefer the old stuff, but I think we're doing okay at singing stuff everyone knows most of the time, with one newer selection thrown in a Sunday.

And, now we're talking about changing liturgy - scary :)

Anyway, on NPR a while ago there was someone who was talking about what happens in the brain during music. I don't remember the specifics, but the music that pulls us the most is often the music that throws in a surprise - something that goes along with the expected, but then has a key change or a different note or word that intrigues us. And, that brings us satisfaction in some way.

I suppose, music in some ways is an acting out of life - or a singing out of life. The emotions, the urges, and the desire for some order within chaos.